My Struggle with "Missions"

Let’s clarify. God’s mission for the Church is helpful. Here mission is synonymous with purpose. But when we start to say “missions council” or “missionary,” we do a disservice to the word. In fact, a significant reason we have the global outreach and local outreach teams is because we found the word “missions” a hindrance to what we are trying to accomplish. Some would argue outreach is not helpful either, but we’ll save that conversation for another time.

Today, in church language, "missions" has come to mean what happens overseas. So the missions council is focused on what we support and do overseas. Missionaries are those who serve overseas. The problem with this is that God’s mission is not limited to a specific location and missionaries are not simply those who serve in the jungle or across the ocean. All of us are missionaries. We are here to be “on mission” for Christ in the places He has called us. Some of us are called to missionary work overseas and some are not. But it does not change the fact that we are all missionaries.

Some would say, “But I’m not called to be a missionary.” But that is simply not true. You may not be called to full-time vocational ministry in a church or overseas, but you are definitely called to be a missionary. Other words used in Scripture that help bring clarity to our understanding of missionary are ambassador, witness, disciple, follower, servant, slave, and imitator (of Christ).

The idea that some are missionaries and some are not is inaccurate. The idea that we may be a missionary for a while and then not is also inaccurate. A missionary is one who exists to serve God and His mission to the world. That is all of us.

Now what that means can look differently for all of us. You can have a full-time job in the marketplace and still be a missionary. You can be retired from your career job and still be a missionary. In fact, that is what all of us are called to be. Our identity is in Christ. We are His. Therefore, we exist for His purpose and His purpose is that the people of the world might see, experience, and respond to the love He offers.

The phrase “missions trip” can also be a hindrance. Yes, it is a specific trip devoted to serving God in a unique place, away from home. But when are we not on a mission’s trip? When is our life not about God’s mission? When are we not seeking to serve Him and His purpose? Clearly there are some unique aspects about a short-term experience in a distant country or cross-culturally, but those experiences are meant to be a means by which we continue our role as missionaries and even be encouraged to increase our commitment to God’s mission instead of our own.

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20

But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.
Mark 10:43-44

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake.
2 Corinthians 4:5

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1